Baseball's First Millennial

Sunday, Elvis entered the building in an historic way. Blue Jays pitcher Elvis Luciano, whom I saw in a March 23rd spring training game, became the first player born in the 21st century to appear in a major league game. The 19 year old rookie entered Toronto's game against the Tigers at Rogers Centre with two on in the top of the 7th -- and retired Nicholas Castellanos.

Luciano came back for the 8th, giving up a double and intentional walk, but completed his stint without surrendering a run.

But more importantly, he kicked in the door for major league millennials. He's their Columbus, their pioneer. Let's hope the still-just-19 year old goes onto have a productive career, extending his notoriety beyond his birth date. But he's already claimed a place that will be his alone forever.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If Your Birthday is October 9th...

Image
...you share it with Starling Marte .  The Dominican outfielder closed out a 15-season career with the 2026 Royals, but is best known for his time with the Pirates where he twice won Gold Gloves and played on three teams that made the post-season. He was an NL All Star in 2022, when he joined the Mets, but his numbers gradually declined in subsequent years. Yohandy Morales is one of the talented prospects on which the Nationals are banking their future.  The Miami native and son of former Cuban national team star (and Yankees and Mets farmhand)  Andy Morales  was Washington's 2nd round pick in 2023.  "YoYo" completed his matriculation this season by belting 25 homers at Triple A Rochester and four more after Nats promoted him in September. And we remember Joe Pepitone , best known for his eight years as a Yankee (1962-'69), where he took over for Moose Skowron at 1st base, played on three pennant winners (highlighted by a grand slam in 1964 World Series against...
Read more

Cy Fynalists

Image
The last two nights, Jacob de Grom (above) and Max Scherzer (below) showed why they're the leading contenders for the NL Cy Young Award. Wednesday, in what was likely his final start of the season, the Mets ace threw eight innings of two-hit shutout ball. That lowered his ERA to 1.70. His 10 strikeouts helped him reach 1000 for his career. And thanks to just enough hitting support from Domonic Smith and Michael Conforto, De Grom earned the victory to finish 2018 with a winning record at 10-9. Scherzer made his statement Tuesday night, when he won his 18th and became the fifth pitcher this century to reach 300 strikeouts in a season. Though he's giving up a half-run a game more than de Grom, the three-time Cy Young winner has been just as dominant, while pitching with more consistent support. Two division rivals contending for the league's most coveted pitching award -- and doing it on otherwise-disappointing teams. ( My image of de Grom is from the May 18th Mets/Di...
Read more

Rare Remnant of a Lost Ballpark

Image
When the subject of baseball in Brooklyn comes up, the discussion centers around Ebbets Field, the Flatbush venue most famously home to The Boys of Summer.  Those legendary 1940s and '50s teams that featured such historic and beloved players as Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella and Gil Hodges. Ebbets Field hosted its last major league game in 1957 and was torn down during the winter of 1960. But decades earlier, just before World War One, the Dodgers were based in the Park Slope area and played at Washington Park.  Once they moved out, the land was occupied by another stadium, which housed a different franchise.  The upstart Federal League, which played in the 1914 and '15 seasons, had a Brooklyn team called the TipTops.  Owned by a local baking magnate Robert Ward, whose company produced TipTop bread, the club took over the abandoned lot along 3rd Avenue and built a new brick and steel venue. The only no-hitter in the Federal League's two...
Read more